CJI Ranjan Gogoi to probe delay in appointment of high court judges

New Delhi, November 3: Chief Justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi has observed that he will look into the issue of non-appointment of candidates as judges in high courts by the government despite the Supreme Court Collegium clearing their names.

The observation came when the court was hearing a public interest litigation filed by the NGO, Centre for Public Interest Litigation, seeking a direction to the government to notify the names of candidates cleared by the Collegium. The CJI said he will look into the issue on the administrative side.

Appearing for the NGO, senior advocate Dushyant Dave said there was an inadvertent delay by the government in making appointments to high courts, because of which at least 13 names have been pending with it for nearly six weeks.

To this, Gogoi replied, “The number of judges whose names have been reiterated by the Collegium and which are pending with the government is perhaps three times more than the figure of 13 names mentioned.”

The CJI then asked Dave to give him time to deal with the issue on the administrative side and ordered that the matter be listed for hearing after eight weeks. Later, Gogoi confirmed that the number of candidates cleared for appointment but awaiting notification as judges is at least 40.